The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing that it will label nine of the thousands of PFAS “forever chemicals” as hazardous.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, are considered a “forever chemical” because it takes a long time to break down in the environment and in the human body. They’re found in hundreds of household items and in drinking water systems and are thought to be in the blood of 98% of the human population.

A change to the regulations would make it easier for the government to address PFAS as a part of its cleanup program, the EPA said. Last year, the EPA proposed the first national drinking water standard for PFAS chemicals.

“Thanks to strong partnerships with our co-regulators in the states, we will strengthen our ability to clean up contamination from PFAS, hold polluters accountable and advance public health protections,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.

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